Cane workers threaten to protest on Madaraka Day over arrears

Sugarcane workers have threatened to stage a protest during the upcoming Madaraka Day celebration fete in Bungoma county over unpaid arrears amounting to more than Sh3 billion.

The workers expressed their frustration saying they were bitter and not happy with the way the government was handling the matter.

Through the Kenya Union of Sugarcane Plantation and Allied Workers (KUSPAW), they noted that they were supposed to receive their dues before the state-owned sugar companies were listed out as promised by the government.

Led by the Union Secretary General Francis Wangara, they noted that, initially the payment was supposed to be made by December last year, but what surprised them was that the farmers were the ones who were paid.

Wangara said workers were then told to wait for supplementary budgets which will address the situation of their arrears.

"We have waited and unfortunately, we have managed to access the proposed supplementary budget, and what they have factored in, is the 20 per cent balance that they are supposed to pay the farmers and nothing to pay the workers," he said.

He said when the President was in Western last year, he promised the government was going to pay the workers three months' arrears, and the other batch should be paid alongside other people.

The Secretary-General told the Star that untill now, the three months arrears have not been paid.

Fortunately, he noted that the President will be in Bungoma to celebrate Madaraka Day and they don't know what he will tell the workers, because they are up in arms waiting for his comments on the matter.

"So as workers, we are planning to demonstrate in Bungoma on June 1 when the President will be around and we want him to tell us why this thing is being applied discriminatively because workers are not being paid yet the farmers are being paid," he said.

Wangara noted that the management that pays farmers is the same that does not pay workers therefore this cannot be applied discriminatively because it all amounts to debts owed by the company.

He stressed that leasing will not take effect until the workers are paid.

"We have a case in court and what we will do is just to activate that case, then we serve them with orders not to proceed with the process of leasing until we are paid."

"There is no justification why they should keep on shelving the issues of the workers as they concentrate only on farmers, they know the arrears amount, they have the records of the workers, we are bitter and not happy with the way the government is handling this situation."